1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to SMS messaging and more particularly to systems and methods for enabling cross language communication via SMS messaging.
2. Background of the Invention
Electronic messaging has seen explosive growth in the past few years. As wireless network coverage has expanded and the cost of messaging devices have fallen, business people as well as casual users have increasingly turned to electronic messaging to communicate with one another. One of the messaging techniques that has seen an acute spike in growth is messaging using cellular or mobile telephones. Cellular telephone networks around the world support a protocol that is commonly referred to as the short message service (SMS). SMS messages are typically limited in size to 160 characters and can be easily sent to and from mobile telephones. Addressing is based on the telephone number of the wireless/mobile/cellular telephone.
Because SMS is supported by virtually all of the mobile telephone service providers around the world, there is now the opportunity to support simple and inexpensive messaging between people in different parts of the world. Unfortunately, however, such communication can sometimes be strained by differences in languages. For example, it may be difficult (or even impossible) for an English-only speaker to engage in an SMS messaging session with a French- or German-only speaker without some sort of intervening translation service. One known translation technique that can be used in the context of SMS messaging is the independent translation and transmission method.
In this known method an originator generates an SMS message in a first language with the intent of sending the message to an intended recipient in a second language. In accordance with the known method, the originator generates the message and sends the message to a dedicated application that is accessed by addressing the message to a so-called “short code,” (e.g., “3042”). The dedicated application translates the message to the second language and sends back the translated message to the originator. The originator then forwards the translated message to the intended recipient using normal SMS messaging procedures.
The foregoing method has several disadvantages. First, translation and transmission are independent. More specifically, it takes two operations on the part of a user to send a message—a first transmission to a short code and a second transmission to the ultimate destination.
Second, in some cases it may not be possible for the originating mobile phone to receive and display the translated message correctly as a mobile phone typically supports one or few character sets. Accordingly, it is likely that some language translations cannot be supported using this technique.
Third, there is a substantial delay in originating and sending a translated message since multiple messages must be sent and there may be a delay in the response time in forwarding the translated message.
Thus there is a need for improved translation services in the context of electronic messaging and, in particular, SMS messaging.